Police chiefs in Atlanta and DeKalb County and three smaller locations in Georgia have lined up behind a proposal to grant driver's licenses to illegal immigrants.

The police chiefs say that since illegal immigrants drive every day anyway, licensing them would lead them to buy auto insurance and learn the rules of the road. The law enforcement officials say one effect would be fewer crashes that involve uninsured motorists, which would help keep insurance premiums down for all drivers. The change in policy would also help police identify people who often lack ID or carry forged documents.

"However a person came into this country, why would you not want that person to have identification?" said Chief Eddie Moody of the DeKalb Police Department.

Moody and Atlanta Police Chief Richard Pennington support legislation introduced by Rep. Barbara Mobley (D-Decatur) in the state House of Representatives during the last session. The bill would remove a requirement that limits Georgia driver's licenses to U.S. citizens and legal residents.

Police chiefs in Brunswick, Warner Robins and Glynn County also have endorsed the bill.

The support by police chiefs alarms Phil Kent, president of the Southeastern Legal Foundation, a public interest law firm that supports tighter immigration controls. Kent said it makes no sense for the state to license people whose very presence violates federal law.

"Not only is it foolish public policy, but it continues to undermine the rule of law," he said. "Police chiefs doing that is incomprehensible."

Kent said the foundation collected 10,000 signatures on a petition posted on its Web site opposing the effort to license illegal immigrants, a top priority for the Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and other organizations that represent the state's booming Latino population.

The U.S. Census Bureau counted 435,000 Latinos in Georgia in 2000, but some demographers say the actual population is closer to 700,000. Firm estimates are elusive, but some Hispanic advocates say roughly half of Georgia Latinos are illegal immigrants.

Mobley championed the driver's license legislation last year, but it went nowhere. The effort probably will face an "uphill battle" in the legislative session that begins next month, said Sen. Bill Stephens (R-Canton), a floor leader for Gov.-elect Sonny Perdue.

Stephens said he has not read the bill or spoken about it with Perdue, but he predicted "a good deal of resistance . . . in the General Assembly."

Some legal immigrants would resent the state's granting licenses to people who "have not followed the rules of coming to this country," said Amitabh Sharma, president of the India-American Cultural Association in Smyrna. His concern: If someone did not obey immigration law, there "is a great likelihood" that same person would also disregard traffic laws.

Yet the reality is that "large companies and businesses are recruiting Hispanics into this country," said Brunswick Police Chief T.C. Cowan, and "many of them purchase a car and drive even though they have no driver's license or insurance."

The state Legislature should act because "it's no secret that the federal government . . . is not going to send all illegal immigrants back," said Chief Dan Hart of the Warner Robins Police Department. The federal Immigration and Naturalization Service has about 2,000 officers to enforce immigration law in a country with an estimated 9 million illegal immigrants.

The Atlanta and DeKalb police chiefs signed onto the bill after meeting with Jerry Gonzalez, a lobbyist for the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, a national civil rights organization with an office in Atlanta.

Some opponents of the licensing effort worry that foreign-born terrorists could use a driver's license to blend into the mainstream.

But Mobley argued that licensing illegal immigrants would improve national security by giving authorities a clearer picture of who lives here.

But Mobley argued that licensing illegal immigrants would improve national security by giving authorities a clearer picture of who lives here.

Yeah, like the 9-11 maniacs who all had licenses. Real effective, eh? What really burns me is that U.S. citizens are required to give social security numbers to get a license. Illegal aliens are not. So we don't even have equal rights to the lawbreakers.

Most illegal aliens are working under assumed names and would apply for drivers' licenses with same. Many in the U.S. have a complete lack of understanding of the illegal alien society and economic operating parameters.

The sad fact is that anyone who permanently resides here (legally, illegally, or otherwise) must be assimilated into the mainstream because the alternative is much much worse: A vast growing subculture of fugitives (by definition) hiding from the law, feeding a life draining underground economy, stealing to live and then turning to other, more worse crimes like selling drugs to our kids and breaking/entering into our homes, using our medical and other facilities paid for by our taxes, never paying taxes, not getting educated, not contributing to society in a positive way, hating the society around them (you, me, our families).....

That's the way it is (we allowed this to happen) and we can point finger all day long, but the political, social, cultural, and other realities have to be faced.

"The police chiefs say that since illegal immigrants drive every day anyway, licensing them would lead them to buy auto insurance and learn the rules of the road."

I think criminals should be given firearms instructions by the police on the correct use of guns. Since they are going to use guns anyway, they should at least learn how to do so safely and accurately.

I think rapists should be provided with free condoms. Since they are going to commit rape, they should at least avoid transmission of STDs.

What kind of nation of idiots are we turning into?? Did these cops check their brains in somewhere after becoming chiefs???

The daily news is becoming funnier and funnier, if it wasn't so scary.

I agree with you....you should see the hoopty's these illegals drive around in. There's usually 5 or 6 packed into a pickup...broken glass, lights don't work, wheels wobbling like the wagon in a Little Rascals flick.

Yup, the first thing they'd do would be to go out and spend $800.00 for liability insurance on a vehicle not worth $200.00

re:Most illegal aliens are working under assumed names and would apply for drivers' licenses with same. Many in the U.S. have a complete lack of understanding of the illegal alien society and economic operating parameters.)))

Coming soon-very high insurance premiums because you also have to cover the illegals, licensed or not. The lawyers cannot go hungry. Licensing does not mean that the laws regarding minimum insurance will be obeyed. Illegals only obey the laws that are ENFORCED.

How are you going to compete, given your business? I was so relieved when I hired a tiny little crew to work on my driveway and American citizens showed up, so I didn't have to suffer the guilty suspicion that I was aiding and abetting illegal immigration. But when you hire a contractor, how can you control their crew? Many Mexicans are legal, and I do not begrudge them at all the work.

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